DEMBA BA has escaped a club fine for the controversial comments he made this week to a French television station.

The Chronicle understands that Newcastle United bosses have over the past 48 hours closely examined the remarks Ba made to L’Equipe du Dimanche, a popular show on Canal+, and decided he had not broken any club rules.

This is despite the Senegalese star questioning the “long ball football” he claimed has hurt the team this season.

And the fact he also openly praised Arsenal, the club who have been long-time admirers of Newcastle’s leading scorer this season.

Although at no time during the wide-ranging interview did the 27-year-old say he wanted to quit Newcastle, despite having not signed a new contract at St James’ Park.

It was widely reported that Ba was to be hammered with a £90,000 fine, which is two weeks’ wages, if he had been found in breach of contract.

But Ba is not in trouble and there is no chance of him missing this Saturday’s must-win home match against QPR.

A precedent for such a matter was actually set back in January of this year, following United’s 3-0 win over Manchester United.

In the day after that victory at St James’ Park, Hatem Ben Arfa complained about, among other things, the team’s supposed direct style of play during an article in a French magazine.

That interview, thought to have taken place without the club’s knowledge, did not land Ben Arfa in any sort of bother.

Indeed, at the time United boss Alan Pardew said: “I didn’t see anything wrong with his interview.

“I don’t think any player at any football club is going to say their philosophy is the same as the manager.

“I didn’t when I was working with Steve Coppell (at Crystal Palace) but I still admired him and understood what he is about and learned a great deal off him.”

Pardew, who has been hugely supportive of his main goal-threat, could have done without Ba speaking in public just before the transfer window opened.

The United boss is preparing himself for a club or clubs to offer the now infamous £7.5million it would take to trigger a release cause and prise the ex-West Ham man from Tyneside.

But it is to Ba’s great credit that his form, certainly in terms of goalscoring, has not dipped during what has seemed like constant speculation regarding his future.

His well-taken header against Manchester City last weekend was his 11th goal from 18 matches this season, just five less than his total for the whole of the previous campaign.